


nagisa (the water’s edge)

by peachparfait



Category: One Piece
Genre: Eventual Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji, F/M, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Masturbation, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Self-Harm, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:01:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25606297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachparfait/pseuds/peachparfait
Summary: together, zoro and sanji come to terms with themselves.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	1. ch 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this is my first time writing anything on here, so please bear with me! sorry the first chapter is so short:( constructive criticism is very appreciated:))

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> little zoro realizes he's different

_ch 1_

Zoro realized he was different when he was nine.

_It was shortly after Kuina’s death, a stoic time where Zoro would spend all of his waking hours bullying his body, willing himself to get stronger. After practicing in the dojo, the rest of the boys usually huddled around the river, splashing themselves to cool off. Of course, Zoro would continue to train. He held boulders over his head and practiced kata until his muscles quivered. Koushiro would have to drag him away by the collar to get him to stop._

_The river was hidden behind an expanse of vegetation and protected by an uneven ledge of granite. Zoro quickly jumped down to join the rest of the boys, ignoring the rope - meant to help the kids get down to the riverbed - anchored to the ground. He grabbed a bucket, filled it up with water, and threw it over his head. He shook the water off like a dog and sat with his feet in the cold water, distancing himself from the other boys. Still, they gathered around him, interested in his training regimen._

_Among the many questions, a high pitched voice called out, “Hey, Zoro! Now that Kuina’s-”_

_Zoro flinched, and an awkward silence fell over everyone. The atmosphere had returned to just about normal, but eluding to Kuina’s death was still taboo, especially with Zoro around. Seemingly wanting to determine whether or not the boy deserved a beating, Zoro motioned him to continue._

_He gulped, ”Sorry, I just wanted to know who you were going to marry now that you can't marry her.”_

_Zoro flushed but decided against using his fists. It was an innocent question, and the boy was only about six._

_”Idiot. I was never going to marry her. We were rivals - enemies.” Zoro answered with a shrug of his shoulders, and everyone giggled, the mood lightened by the exciting topic of romance. Saga elbowed his side teasingly._

_”No way! Everyone thought you guys would get married. And you would take over the dojo cause Kuina is-...was a girl,” he said. He lowered his gaze and picked at the cattail growing next to him._

_Zoro was glaring. The giggling faded to silence. ”Well, nevermind.” Saga smiled awkwardly. ”Maybe you could just marry one of us.”_

_”Okay. As long as you guys don't get in my way.”_

_The boys looked at each other and burst out laughing._

Zoro realized he was different when he was thirteen.

_Another hard day of training passed for everyone except Zoro, who had stone barbells in both his hands and between his teeth. He was a lot stronger after puberty and had already beaten all the adults - except Koushiro - in the dojo. Still, he trained until he was about to collapse, and Koushiro had to drag him away by the collar._

_By the time he got to the river, the rest of the boys were huddled in a tight circle. They were looking at something, whispering excitedly. They all eyed Zoro while he poured a bucket of water over his head and beckoned him over when he was done shaking the water off of himself._

_”Take a look at this, Zoro.” A boy his age grinned at him devilishly, a glint in his eyes. He thrust a stack of thin papers towards Zoro, who took a quick look and abruptly rejected them._

_The papers were ukiyo-e paintings of girls - scantily clad and naked girls with flushed cheeks and full figures. The boys were practically drooling over them, their cheeks a similar color to the girls in the paintings. Zoro rolled his eyes; his expression was unchanging._

_”Come on, Zoro; this doesn't interest you at all?” An older boy - about 15 - asked. ”Don’t you want a girlfriend?” He looked at the girl on top of the stack. It was a girl who had her kimono wide open in the front, exposing her milky white breasts. She was smiling seductively. The boy groaned. In front of Zoro’s widening eyes, he started taking off his yukata, exposing his bronzed skin and fundoshi. He spoke to his friends. ”It’s getting a little hot, no?”_

_The rest of the boys laughed and followed suit, stripping down to their undergarments and jumping into the river all at once._

_”I don't need distractions. Leave me alone,” Zoro muttered before turning and running away, desperately trying to hide his scarlet face before anyone saw._


	2. ch 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bigger zoro has to deal with things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these flashback chapters will be told in an objective POV (where you don’t actually know what anyone is thinking - just their actions!) but i was thinking of switching over to Zoro’s POV once we get to the age that we met him!

Zoro was seventeen by the time he’d figured things out.

_The years passed, and Zoro found himself growing larger and larger. His arms and legs were thickened with muscle, and his shoulders were hard and broad. He trained tirelessly and slept, ate, and drank when he wasn't training. There was no time for anything else._

_When he was just a little bit younger, he had many sleepless nights. Tossing, turning, and squirming uncomfortably, his body flushed. He shared a room with nine other boys, all similar ages, in the dojo. They slept side-by-side on the small futons. Zoro’s was right in the middle, and his feet dangled off the edge._

_He slept fine for the first few years. The nights were a nice respite from his brutal days. But one night, Zoro awoke to the boy next to him being loud. He was breathing heavily and moving his hands jerkily underneath his covers. Zoro furrowed his eyebrows but ignored him and went back to sleep._

_What followed the next morning was an incredibly awkward conversation that had Zoro red-faced and spluttering._

_”Everyone?” he asked incredulously._

_”Aren't you a man, Zoro?” the boy asked back, just as incredulously. Then he laughed. ”I can give you a few pictures to help you get started.” He winked and walked away._

_Zoro didn’t have time for distractions. He went about his day, as usual, training hard during the morning, noon, and well into the afternoon._

_Zoro didn't even glance at his futon neighbor, even when he started making noise in the middle of the night, and practiced meditating. But still, he woke up with a sticky fundoshi the next morning._

_From then on, Zoro’s willpower and teenage hormones battled every time he was distracted from training. It was the worst at night. He had made a vow to himself never to lose control again, so he found a way to control himself. He kept a small pocket knife next to his head when he was going to bed, and carved slits into his left shoulder whenever his heartbeat quickened or his hips felt heavy._

Zoro was seventeen by the time he’d figured things out.

_He had grown tall and broad, skin darkened from the hours of training in the sun. His hands were rough and calloused, and hidden underneath his white shirt and bandana were countless fading scars on his left shoulder. He was leaving for the sea to find Dracule Mihawk and become the world’s strongest swordsman. He was going to keep his promise he made to Kuina all those years ago._


End file.
